


Survive, Kill, Fly

by moeagare



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles
Genre: Flashbacks, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mecha, Mumkhar Survives AU, Survival, no betas we die like men, original trio centered
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2019-09-27 16:12:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17165120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moeagare/pseuds/moeagare
Summary: When the fall off of Mechonis fails to kill him, Mumkhar finds himself stranded on the Fallen Arm with a broken, failing body and no Metal Face. However, if there is one thing he knows how to do, it is survive against all odds. After that, he can worry about destroying Dunban and the Monado boy.Meanwhile, Dunban struggles to reconcile the memories of his old friend with his sister's killer.





	1. The Fall

     Mumkhar cracked open his eyes slowly. Bright light assaulted him, pouring in through the large, jagged holes in his cockpit. That’s right, he had been fighting Dunban and that Monado brat. Judging from the state of his face unit, he had lost badly.

  
     Mumkhar winced in pain as he tried to sit up straight. Pain? The idea seemed like a foreign concept to him at this point. Most of his body was metal for Bionis sake. That meant one of his fleshy bits must have got hit. Mumkhar tried to raise his right hand and was hit with more pain. He glanced over to his left to see that his arm had been pinned to the floor of the cockpit by… was that a piece of Galahad Fortress?

  
     Great. That was going to be a pain to fix. With his free hand, Mumkhar ran his cold metal fingers over his sweat-drenched face, then down his chest. Sure enough, a portion of his chest plate was caved in. At the very least a couple of his ribs were broken.

  
     “Run full diagnostic scan.” He wheezed out. His face unit however, didn’t show any response to the command. “Run full diagnostic scan.” He repeated, this time louder. Still no response. Mumkhar tried to force his link to the machine back open, but to no avail. It looked like Metal Face would be out of commission for a while, at least until he could get Egil to repair it.

  
     Mumkhar took in a deep breath and ignited his claws, quickly slashing the Galahad Fortress spire in two just above the surface of his arm. Gritting his teeth, he extinguished his claws and yanked out the remaining piece piercing his arm. Blood quickly started flowing from wound. Damn, he forgot that he still had flesh down there. That needed to be bandaged ASAP.

  
     Free at last, Mumkhar tried to grab the edge of the largest hole in the cockpit and hoisted himself out. However, when his wounded arm wouldn’t move, he was forced to get on top of his seat and climb out.

  
     First, he had to bandage his arm and find shelter. His internal GPS told him he was somewhere on the Fallen Arm. There had to be some nook or cranny he could bunker down in. Mumkhar clutched his chest and started walking.

  
He stole a glace back at his face unit. Ever since he had come into this new life, Metal Face had seemed like a part of him. Abandoning it felt wrong. Then again, at this point it was just dead weight.

  
     Mumkhar didn’t have to walk far to find shelter. Digit Four looked like a fine place to rest. The only access door he could spot was locked, but his claws made light work of the issue.

  
     Now to stop the bleeding. Somehow Mumkhar doubted he’d find a first aid kit just laying around. There was plenty of moss inside the digit, not his first choice of bandage, but it would do. Mumkhar scrapped the bright green fluff off the walls and pushed it into his wound. Then, completely exhausted, he curled up on the floor and slept. He would survive this just like everything else.

 

 

 

     Mumkhar had no idea how long he had slept, but felt just as exhausted now as he had before laying down. Without Metal Face to manage his body’s functions, his energy was draining faster than usual. Eventually, without a Face, his body would start to shut down. How much time did he have until that happened again? All the more reason to fix Metal Face quickly.

  
     He winced a little as he got to his feet, but the pain had died down some since yesterday. He tried moving his left arm but could barely manage to flex his fingers. Troublesome, but at least he hadn’t lost the arm.

  
     Moving further into the digit, Mumkhar found the lower level had flooded with seawater and had become home to a few krabbles. He climbed down and stuck his face into the pool of water, greedily gulping down mouthful after mouthful. It tasted like shit, but got the job done. Now just to replenish his ether. Mumkhar eyed up one of the krabbles sharing the pool with him and it retreated nervously into its shell. If Xord managed to recharge off eating organics, why couldn’t he?

  
     “Hell Dive Claw!” Mumkhar shouted springing on the krabble and landing a blow to its shell. A solid hit, but with only one arm, the attack wasn’t nearly as effective. Too slow to run from him, the krabble decided to fight back. It lashed out with its large claw. Mumkhar jumped out of the way, easily dodging the slow attack, only to falter the moment he landed. He fell to his kneels and took a blow from the krabble directly into his sore ribs.

  
     “Hurrrrrh, I’ll tear you limb from limb.” Mumkhar hissed. “Eagle Strike!” The krabble went flying into the wall, giving Mumkhar a chance to get to his feet and finish it off.

  
     “Hehe, I’m the best.” Mumkhar proclaimed to no one. The victory was soon cut short when two more krabbles climbed out of the pool, claws clicking aggressively.

  
     “Bring it o-“, Mumkhar found himself on his knees again as he received a blow from behind. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a third krabble. This one was larger than the others. A unique monster? The three krabbles surrounded him and rained blows on his back and sides. Mumkhar managed to protect his ribs from any more hits, but this was getting to be a bit too much for him.

  
     “Corner!” He shouted, raising his defenses enough to get away from the krabbles, grab his kill, and run for it. The mighty Mumkhar, running from krabbles. If Dunban were here, Mumkhar would hear no end to it.

  
     Dunban. Memories of their last fight came back to him in a flash. Dunban and that Monado brat had taken pity on him. Him! As soon as Metal Face was fixed, Mumkhar would stop at nothing to destroy them.

  
     He clenched his fists and threw the dead krabble across the room. Pieces of its shell flew in every direction as it collided with the wall. Worthless. He was worthless without Metal Face. Dunban was a hero. Everyone loved Dunban. With the Monado in hand, the guy seemed invincible. But he wasn’t! Dunban wasn’t special. Once he had the Monado, Mumkhar, would prove that he was its rightful wielder, that he was better than Dunban ever was! Content in Dunban’s imminent destruction, Mumkhar set about retrieving the krabble.

  
     Eating solid food was surprisingly pleasurable. He had forgotten just how good food could taste. Of course, it still didn’t beat Dickson’s armu steak. If the old man managed to survive, maybe Mumkhar could get him to make some. Not likely, but fun to think about.

  
     After he finished scrapping out the last of the meat from the krabble’s shell, Mumkhar checked his fuel and ether levels. His fuel was fine, and he had all the water he needed in here if it ever got too low, but his ether still wasn’t very good. Using Corner probably cost him a lot. At least he had enough to last another scrap or two.  
Time to get to work then. First contact Agniritha, get them to fix Metal Face, then track down Dunban and the Monado brat and take what was rightfully his.


	2. Agora Shore

     “Hey. You there. You’re the survivor from Colony 10 right?” A young Dunban asked as he approached the shore.

  
     “And what’s it matter to you?” The unkempt teen growled, refusing to make eye-contact with Dunban. Instead he kept his eyes locked on the surface of Lake Agora.

  
     “Er, uh, it’s just. I thought you might want someone to show you around Colony 9.” Dunban explained. It was a white lie, but it was hard not pity the guy a little after all that he must have been through.

  
     “Thanks, but I don’t need your help.” The teen stated simply, running a single finger through the sand in slow, aimless spirals. Bionis, what was that smell? When was the last time this man bathed?

  
     “I can see that.” Dunban stated. Another lie. “I just thought you might want a break from the shore.”

  
     “I'm fine right where I am.” He replied dismissively. This was going nowhere. Just talking to the guy certainly hadn’t worked for anyone else. It was time to switch strategies.

  
     “Come on. You can’t just sit around all day. It’ll be fun.” Dunban grabbed the man’s hand and pulled him to his feet.

  
     “Hey.” He yelled in shock, as he was forced to stand. Dunban had to tilt his head up to meet the man’s eyes. Refusing to be intimidated by this, Dunban quickly grabbed the huge man’s hand and shook it firmly.

  
     “My name’s Dunban. What’s yours?” He asked with the most convincing smile he could manage. The boy quickly looked away.

  
     “Mumkhar.” He muttered under his breath.

  
     “Nice to meet you Mumkhar! Have you had lunch yet? Why don’t we stop at my place first and get something to eat.”

  
     “I-“. Dunban had already started pulling Mumkhar in the direction of the colony before he had the chance to respond. Thankfully, he didn’t have to drag Mumkhar far. Within a few minutes he had him seated at the kitchen table.

  
     Dunban placed a couple plates on the table and sawed into a loaf of bread. He put a couple slices on each plate and passed Mumkhar the tub of jam.  
Mumkhar blankly stared at the tub. Had he never eaten jam before? Dunban watched as the giant man leaned over and sniffed the container. Definitely. He had definitely never eaten jam before.

  
     “You spread it on the bread.” Dunban explained, grabbing the tub and demonstrating. When he was done, he pressed the tub into Mumkhar’s hands. Mumkhar slowly spread the jam across his bread and took a nibble. Immediately, his eyes lit up and he gobbled up the rest of the slice.

  
     “It’s sweet. What is this?” Mumkhar asked through mouthfuls of bread.

  
     “It’s jam. You didn’t have berry trees in Colony 10?” Dunban asked, taking the chance at getting Mumkhar to open up about his lost home.

  
     “On the foot, every meal is grady or lexos. We don’t have anything like this.” Mumkhar admitted. Now they were getting somewhere.

  
     “Lexos?” Dunban asked in shock. “You can’t be serious. I heard that it took seven men in the Colony Defense Force to take down one lexos.” Mumkhar visibly relaxed.

  
     “Foot lexos are pushovers.” Mumkhar boasted. “Not like the ones higher up on the Bionis. The brog’s in Tephra Cave were more trouble.” Dunban’s curiosity was growing by the second.

  
     “You came through Tephra Cave? That’s pretty dangerous. Why didn’t you go through Tibia Path?” He asked.

  
     “You’re kidding right? We woulda been spotted in seconds. The path is too wide and there was too little cover.”

  
     “We?” Dunban asked. “There were other survivors?” At this, Mumkhar froze. Just as Dunban began to fear he had asked the wrong question, a stomping filled the room as Fiora ran, full-speed down the stairs.

  
     “Dunban, are we going to Picnic Point for lunch now? You promised.” Fiora stated. Dunban had never been more grateful for his sister’s stubbornness.

  
     “Uh, sorry. I forgot.” Dunban apologized. “Mumkhar, this is my sister Fiora. Fiora, this is my friend Mumkhar.”

  
     “Nice to meet you Mr. Mumkhar, are you joining us for lunch?” Fiora asked.

  
     “I don't think-”

  
     “Of course he is.” Dunban quickly cut in. No way he was letting Mumkhar go that easy. “You must still be hungry.”

  
     “Come on slow-pokes. I already made enough sandwiches for all three of us.” Fiora beamed, grabbing a sack of what must have been her food off of the counter and darting out the door.

  
     “Fiora! Wait up!” Dunban called after her, but as soon as he followed her out the door, the world shifted. Colony 9 had vanished, and in it's place was Prison Island.

  
     “Fiora!” He called out again. This time his call was answered by a loud shriek. Dunban's eyes went wide as he whipped his body around to look at the space where his house had been. Instead, he found the towering form of Metal Face leering down at him.

  
     “How's it going Dunban?” Metal Face asked, voice dripping with contempt.

  
     “Mumkhar!” Dunban exclaimed, his heart filling with dread as he noticed Fiora's small body lying on the ground in front of the machine. She wasn't moving. He had to reach her somehow.

  
     “Failed to save the day again Dunban?” Metal Face taunted. Dunban scowled, the Monado now in his hands, crackling with energy.  
     “You monster.” He accused, hate filling every syllable. He charged forward, arm burning as he charged Monado Buster. Metal Face stopped his advance with a swipe of his claws.

  
     “You were the one who let them die. Ain't that right Dun Dun?” Metal Face mocked.

  
     “Dun Dun?” Dunban asked, thoroughly confused by the sudden nickname.

  
     “Wakey, wakey Dun Dun.” Metal Face replied, wagging a finger in the air. What was going on here?

 

 

 

     “Dun Dun, time for wake up!” Riki shouted in Dunban’s ear, jolting the man from his sleep. Immediately Dunban’s eyes went to the operating table in the center of the room. It was empty.

  
     “Fiora! Where is she?” Dunban asked, fearing for the worst. He then flinched as a mechanical hand placed itself on his shoulder. Dunban looked up to see his younger sister and immediately relaxed.

  
     “I’m right here silly, and thanks to the piezoelectric unit you guys got me, I’m good as new.” Fiora grinned. Dunban immediately got to his feet and hugged her.

  
     “Dun Dun worry too much. He stay up all night while you sick.” Riki explained, prompting Dunban to finally release his sister.

  
     “Oh really. Maybe Dunban should worry about himself too.” She replied with a smirk. “He needs proper rest if he plans on joining us when we climb the Mechonis.”

  
     “Dun Dun need food too or he slow Riki down.” Riki chimed in. “Dun Dun eat lunch with rest of friends.” Lunch? How long had he slept? Regardless, Dunban could not stop himself from smiling.

  
     “Right. Let’s not keep everyone waiting then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up reordering some chapters, so this update is a little late. The next few chapters are all very Mumkhar and Dunban focused. After that, Dickson will get a much bigger role in this story.


	3. Downwind

     "What do you mean you can't get me a transport!" Mumkhar spat into M37's speaker as it tried to wiggle free of his grasp.

 

     "We can't afford to send any more resources to the Fallen Arm. Our enemies have managed to rally an army, and the Monado's heir is on his way to the core as we speak. All troops have been ordered back to defend the capital." Vanea explained, audibly exhausted.

 

     Somewhere in the back of his mind, Mumkhar understood and even respected this decision, but there was absolutely no way in hell that he was going to simply wait on the beach and die while the rest of Mechonis prepared for battle. The more he thought about the likelihood of his body falling apart before he could kill Dunban, the more Mumkhar's rage built.

 

     He took a deep breath.

 

     "You listen here!" Mumkhar bellowed, spittle beginning to coat the small scout mechon. He could just imagine Vanea shrinking back on the other end of the line. "You will transport me back to the capital, you will repair my body, and you will repair Metal Face. Is that perfectly clear?" Several seconds passed before Vanea could compose a response.

 

     "I can repair your body, but I can't repair your Face unit. It sounds like it is beyond salvaging and mechon design is hardly my field of expertise. If you can make it up Mechonis Field, I can repair you at the Central Factory. I can even set you up with a Mass-Produced Face.”  
  


     Mass-produced? The mere thought of climbing into such an inferior model had Mumkhar absolutely disgusted. He wasn't some grunt. He was one of Egil's elite fighters for Bionis sake.

 

     A sharp whirring noise alerted him to the reinforcements the scout had no doubt called in. It was a couple of M-87's. The dumb machines couldn't even tell that he was one of their own. On any other day he would skewer them easily. Today, he wasn't taking chances.  
  


     “You're absolutely useless!” Mumkhar yelled into the scout one last time before throwing it to the ground and crushing it beneath his heel. He wasted no time in getting the hell out of there before he had to risk a fight.

 

     He was through hiding out on the arm. A rescue wasn't coming and Mumkhar didn't know for sure how much time he had left before his organs failed. He needed to get to that factory now. That in mind, he set course for the Mechonis' leg.

 

     Even while being careful to stay out of sight, it didn't take long to reach Mechonis Field. The sudden lack of anything green was jarring but reassured him that this was the right direction. Now he just had to climb. Unfortunately, Mumkhar had not taken one step when he heard a familiar voice.

 

     “Cast another Enchant, I've almost got 'em.” Reyn's cheery voice echoed down the leg.

 

     “On it,” answered Shulk. A moment passed before he heard the harsh crunch of a mechon falling to it's demise.

 

     If those two idiots were here, so was Dunban. Time to finally get his revenge. Mumkhar charged up the first flight of stairs filled with determination. Then the scattered remains of mechon lining the floor gave him a moments pause.

 

     There was absolutely no way that he could win. Even if he could separate Dunban from the rest of the group, it didn't change that he was injured and had almost no ether left. The mechon here would give him enough trouble as is. Then again, if the Monado boy kept up this pace, there might not be any mechon left on the leg for him to avoid.

 

     New plan: stay out of sight, follow behind the brats, and let them clear a path the Central Factory for him. If only climbing the Bionis leg had been this easy. Surviving that journey only to die climbing another giant leg would be cruel irony.

 

     It didn't take long to catch up to the group of homs. Mumkhar found himself waiting for them to get in a fight before he would move a little further up the leg to a new hiding spot. Then wait for them to get in another fight and on and on.

 

     Occasionally, he would catch a glimpse of the group. They got Fiora to join them. Mumkhar had no idea how they managed that. How was it that she seemed to be doing fine outside of her Face for this long? He was growing weaker by the hour while she was barely breaking a sweat on the ONION unit she was currently fighting. It wasn't fair.

 

     Worst of all was that idiot grin on Dunban had now. Mumkhar had worked so had to kill Fiora. The look on his face when Metal Face's claws tore through her was precious. Then that worthless Vanea had brought her back as a Face and ruined everything. If Mumkhar didn't need her to repair him, he'd give her a good slicing too.  
  


     As Mumkhar finally reached the top of the leg, he was torn from his thoughts by a flash of green overhead, Jade Face. Mumkhar had seen that Face in action only once before, but he knew what that cannon could do. Jade Face touched down in front of the bulkhead at the opposite end of the corridor. Although he may have been aiming for the homs, Mumkhar was still easily within that cannon's firing path. Without a moment to think, he ducked behind the nearest barricade.  
  


     The Linear Laser roared through the air, catching the edge of his barrier. It's force knocked Mumkhar straight onto his rear. He didn't have time to be relieved as a heavy metal claw drove itself straight into his side, sending Mumkhar flying back out from behind the barrier's safety.  
  


     Mumkhar lifted himself off of the ground, wheezing. Energy almost gone, he forced himself to move, to get to any form of safety. He would survive. He had to.

 

     Exhausted, Mumkhar pressed himself against the next barricade. He spotted Shulk and Fiora doing the same right across from him. Well shit. Any hope that he could avoid being seen was soon dashed as Fiora locked eyes with him.

 

     “Mumkhar!” She shouted with a pointed glare, getting Shulk's attention. “You're still alive? I was sure that-”

 

     Another cannon blast drowned out her voice. Mumkhar had to think fast, he didn't have the strength left to fight. At this point, just moving his legs was a herculean effort.  
  


     “Come on! As if I would die at the hands of you lousy lot!” He taunted. Fiora took a step towards him, but was held back by Shulk, just as another cannon blast fired between the two barricades. Mumkhar poked his head out from behind the barrier.

 

     “Knock it out! You'll end up killing me too at this rate!” He shouted down the corridor. If Jade Face heard him, it didn't give him a moments pause as he began charging his next shot. The mechon that had swiped at him a minute ago took the opportunity to close the distance between them.  
  


    “Damn it all!” Mumkhar swore as he started towards the next barricade. Another blast of laser fire stopped him in his tracks before he was able to make the run. He could see Reyn and Sharla now.  
  


     “Mumkhar.” Shulk's voice came from right next to him, causing Mumkhar to flinch. Had Shulk really run to the same barricade as him? Didn't he know that Mumkhar was going to kill him?

 

     “What do you want, brat?” Mumkhar asked. Shulk signaled to Reyn and Sharla who shared a glance before running to join them. That ridiculous ball of fluff trotted behind them. Mumkhar forgot the nopon's name.

 

     “Look, I don't know how you survived that fall, but if we don't stop this Face, we are all going to die.” Shulk explained.  
  


     “You don't say?” Mumkhar replied sarcastically, mentally calculating if Shulk was within stabbing distance. He was.  
  


     “How about a truce?” Shulk offered, shocking him. “I can see when a blast is coming. I can warn you when that is, but you'll have to work with us for the moment.”

 

     Mumkhar weighed his options. The brat and his gang wouldn't kill him. He was sure of that. Dunban tried to at Galahad Fortress. Shulk had stopped him in what Mumkhar considered the most idiotic move in the history of the Bionis.

 

     Without the protection of the Monado's visions, Jade Face or another mechon would absolutely kill him. There had to be another way out of this.  
  


     “Fine, but as far as I am concerned, the moment this fight is over, we are enemies again.” He agreed, mentally fuming.

 

     “Do you know anything about this Face, Mumkhar?” Fiora asked, vaguely gesturing to the large mechon with her sword.  
  


     “That's Jade Face. He's one of the newer models, brought back around the same time as you.” Mumkhar explained. “He was never involved in active combat. As far as I know, Egil keeps him on Mechonis as a guard for his most important facilities.”

 

     “The homs inside must be from Colonies 9 or 6 then?” Sharla stated quietly. Of course it was a homs inside. Why was this news to her? Reyn gave the girl a pained look.

 

     “You don't think?” Reyn pondered. He turned to face Mumkhar. “Do you know anything about the homs in that thing?” He asked seriously.

 

     “Not really. I only met the guy once and never saw him out of his Face.” Mumkhar replied honestly.  
  


     “It doesn't matter. Whoever it is, we'll get them out of there.” Shulk replied. “On my signal, we run. Ready... Go!” Mumkhar followed behind Shulk, sprinting out from behind the barricade to join Dunban and Melia, who were finishing off an M-66. On seeing Mumkhar with the rest of the group, the two both readied their weapons and exchanged confused looks.

 

     “Don't attack! He's on our side!” Fiora shouted at the two. “Just for the time being.” She added quickly.

 

     “Somehow I knew you survived Mumkhar.” Dunban stated with a glare.

 

     “What is it Dunban? You don't look very happy to see your old friend alive and well.” Mumkhar taunted. Okay, so maybe 'well' was a stretch, but Mumkhar was doing his best to appear that way.  
  


     “Shulk you can't be serious?” Melia asked. Mumkhar had almost forgot that he impaled her dad. Now **that** was a good time.

 

     “I don't like it either, but right now, we need all the help we can get.” Shulk explained. “Let's take this guy out quickly, and then we can go back to being enemies. Just don't kill him. That goes for you too Mumkhar.”  
  


     “Me? Kill anyone? Now why would I do that?” Mumkhar replied sarcastically. The look on everyone's face was priceless. It almost made Mumkhar want to kill the guy just for the fun of it. Of course, now was hardly the time. “You're forgetting that Jade Face and I are supposed to be on the same side.” He added, hoping to reassure them.

 

     “Fine, but remember that we'll be keeping an eye on you.” Shulk stated. “Ready... Go!”

 

     Next, they were bouncing between barriers at Shulk's command. Mumkhar hung back and let the others take care of they mechon. If the group noticed, they didn't comment.  
  


     Soon they were sprinting straight towards Jade Face. Shulk was the first to stop, casting another Enchant before quickly hitting the Face with an Air Slash. Mumkhar, on the other hand, just kept running. He dashed straight between Jade Face's legs and kept going.

 

     “Mumkhar, you snake!” Dunban yelled after him.

 

     “Come on! Don't tell me you didn't see this coming... Eh. Dunban?” Mumkhar hollered back over his shoulder, now struggling to get the words out.

 

     He slowed to catch his breath and found himself growing nauseous. Soon, the world tilted and spun around him until he could barely stand. Mumkhar tried to lower himself to the ground, but only made I halfway before he collapsed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long. I had to have part of my respiratory system removed after it tried to suffocate me so I was out of commission for a while. Better now though! Thank you for all the kudos and comments everyone!


	4. Memories

 

     “So what are we supposed to do with him?” Fiora asked. She was the first one in the small crowd around Mumkhar's unconscious body to speak.

 

     “Leave him.” Dunban suggested. “If we take him with us he'll just run off again the moment he wakes up. That's what he does.” He continued staring down at his former friend. Mumkhar's face was pale and shined with a thin layer of sweat. If it wasn't for the ever so slight rise and fall of his chest, he would assume Mumkhar had dropped dead.

 

     “I agree.” Melia stated. “He can't be trusted. If we take him with, he is likely to attack us.”

 

     “I say we take him with. “ Sharla stated plainly, much to everyone's surprise. “If we leave him here, the next mechon to drop by will kill him. We can use him for information. Who better to tell us Egil's attack plans than one of his men?”

 

     “I don't think it matters what we do with him.” Fiora added quietly. “I almost died when Face Nemisis was destroyed. You saw what was left of Metal Face. Without help, he'll die before long. I doubt Mumkhar will even wake up from this. It's a wonder he didn't collapse sooner.”

 

     “You're right about that.” Agreed a new voice. Dunban turned quickly to see a Machina woman behind him. How had she managed to sneak up on them so easily?

 

     “Huh? Who are you?” Shulk asked the woman.

 

     “I am Vanea.” She smiled in Fiora's direction. “I am glad to see that you are safe Lady Meyneth.”

 

     “Lady Meyneth?” Shulk questioned aloud.

 

     “I wished to speak with you more, but I am afraid my time must be cut short if I am to repair this Face.” She stated, gesturing to Mumkhar with a resigned look in her eyes.

     

     “Awful as he may be, I have a duty to all Face units.” Vanea continued. She scooped Mumkhar up off of the ground and hoisted him over one shoulder. Were all Machina women that strong? “Ahead, you will find Central Factory, beyond that the capitol Agniritha. We will speak again there.”  
  


     “Wait.” Sharla interjected. “You said you had a duty to Face units. What happened to Gadolt? Why doesn't he remember me?”

 

     “He is to blame.” Vanea stated. With one hand she, held Mumkhar in place, with the other, she gestured to him. “This Face's obsession with your group seems to have convinced my brother that memories and emotions only get in the way of a Face's fighting ability. He's removed them from the newer models.”

 

     “He removes their memories?” Dunban asked. “But that's not right. Is it not enough that Egil destroys the bodies of Homs? What right does he have to destroy their memories as well?” Vanea paused for a moment to think and shook her head.

 

     “My brother does not care about the homs he uses as weapons. The destruction of Bionis is all he concerns himself with anymore.” She replied honestly.

 

     “Does that mean that Mumkhar's memories will be removed as well?” Dunban asked. The idea troubled him more than he cared to admit.

 

     “Perhaps.” Vanea admitted. “This one has proven himself to be quite the handful. First, Egil will have to decide if this Face still has use.”

 

     For a moment Dunban reflected on all those afternoons spent relaxing with Mumkhar at Agora Shore. The after-battle drinks they would share with Dickson. Mumkhar had abandoned Dunban and murdered his sister, yet he wouldn't trade those memories for anything.

 

     Just a moment ago, he had been prepared to leave Mumkhar to whatever fate had in store for him. Now, he was fighting the urge to jump to his defense. Why? What could he do?

 

     Even if they trekked all the way back down to the Fallen Arm, there was no guarantee Linada could fix him or even that he would survive the journey. Even if Linada did manage to fix him, Mumkhar would be a huge threat to the village. He couldn't leave them with the responsibility of keeping Mumkhar captive.

 

     “Vanea.” Dunban said finding his determination, as she turned to leave. “We will be coming to rescue Gadolt and Mumkhar. Take care of them until we arrive.”

 

     “And you take care to keep Lady Meyneth safe as well.” Linada replied as she went on her way. Dunban couldn't help but wonder what she meant.

 

     “You okay?” Ryan asked, placing his hand on Dunban's shoulder. Dunban wasn't sure himself. He thought that he had lost his (former) best friend twice. Now, he was alive but in the hands of the enemy. It wasn't right.

 

     “I just have a lot to think about.” Dunban replied honestly. Thankfully, Reyn seemed to understand and withdrew his hand.

 

     “It looks like it's about to storm.” Shulk observed. “I think it's time we made camp for the night. Let's find some shelter and make dinner.”

 

     “Riki sleepy.” Riki agreed. “Who's turn to make food?”

 

     “Hmmm. I made dinner last time so I guess that would make it Reyn's turn.” Shulk explained.

 

     “Nooooooooo!” Riki yelled.

 

     “Come on. My food isn't that bad.” Reyn defended. It was that bad. The mere thought of Reyn's 'cooking' turned Dunban's stomach.

 

     “I'll find a good place to set up camp.” Dunban offered, eager to get away for a bit.

 

     “I'll come with.” Sharla offered. “I need a good place to go through my gem supply.”

 

     “Alright. Good luck you two. Riki, Melia. Can you find kindling for the fire? Fiora and I will look for water to refill the canteens.” Shulk asked, leaving Dunban and Sharla to wander off.

 

     “Hey.” Sharla said as soon as they were out of earshot of the others, getting Dunban's attention. “Thank you for standing up for Gadolt and the others back there.”

 

     “There is nothing to thank me for, but I am sorry about what happened to him.” Dunban replied.

 

     “And I'm sorry about Mumkhar.” Sharla offered back.

 

     “He did it to himself.” Dunban stated, more to himself than to Sharla.

 

     “Yes, he did. That doesn't make what's happened to him right.” She offered. Dunban didn't know if he agreed with her or not.

 

     “At least they are alive.” He replied after some thought.

 

     “At least they're alive.” Sharla repeated. “And if Fiora can be brought back, maybe all of the Faced Mechon can.” She added hopefully.

 

     “That seems like a good place to set up camp.” Dunban pointed out, changing the subject. The spot in question was a corner of the field under the cover of a particularly large sheet of metal. Not ideal, but easy enough to stay out of the weather in.

 

     “Yeah. Let's tell the others.” Sharla agreed.

 

 

     Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be any food or water on this part of the Mechonis. Shulk and Fiora had failed to find a spring, so they had set up a system to catch rain water instead. Fortunately, the lack of anything edible meant that they were spared from Reyn's cooking, instead relying on the few rations they had brought from Machina Village.

 

     The rain loudly pinged on the roof of their shelter, making sure that Dunban couldn't get a moments sleep. Not that he probably would have been able to sleep anyway after all that had happened today. Instead, Dunban laid awake, thinking of his former friend and how things had gone so wrong.  
  


  
  


**15 Years Prior**

      “Is this seriously all you have!” Lieutenant Vangarre yelled, his spit raining down on Dunban's face.

 

     “I am getting information, sir. It's just taking me longer than I...” Vangarre interrupted him by slamming Dunban's notebook down on his desk. This wasn't going to end well.

 

     “No excuses! I ordered you to get information on the fall of Colony 10 and how that weasel managed to survive. And all you manage to get out of the brat is that it was destroyed by the mechon.” Vangarre scolded, waving the notebook around excessively.  
  


     “But it was.” Dunban protested. He realized his mistake as soon as he had made it.

 

     “Don't talk back to me boy. Of course it was. How else would it be? I need specifics; where they attacked from, how many, and what units. Things that can help us prepare for a similar attack.”

 

     “Understood, sir” Dunban replied with a gulp.

 

     “Well then understand this.” Vangaree replied, causing Dunban to shiver in dread. “For running your mouth, and for being such a lazy cadet, you are going to run laps around the Military District until your legs drop off. Understood?”

 

     “Yes sir!” Dunban replied, already exhausted.

 

     “Good. Now get on it!” Vangarre ordered, throwing Dunban's notebook back at him with pin-point accuracy. It collided neatly with his forehead, knocking him onto his butt. He hastily picked himself and the book off of the ground, and made himself scarce.

 

     It was practically night before Dunban was done running his laps. His legs may not have actually fallen off, but they sure as hell felt like it. He hobbled back to his home and promptly collapsed into the first chair he saw, still huffing and puffing.

 

     “Rough day at work?” A voice asked. Dunban's eyes opened wide as he turned his head to look for the source. Mumkhar, of all people, was sitting at the table across the room, calmly eating dinner with Fiora. How on Bionis had he not noticed him? How had he not noticed the food he was having. He was starving.

 

     “Mumkhar? Why are you here?” He asked.

 

     “You didn't show up at our usual place so I came here.” He shrugged. “I brought today's catch if you want some.”

 

     “I helped cook it!” Fiora proudly announced as Dunban moved to sit at the table across from the two.

 

     “Sure you did, kid.” Mumkhar humored her before turning to Dunban. “I also might have seen you running laps earlier and felt just a little responsible.”

 

     “I see.” Dunban replied, taking a bite of fish. “I don't suppose you feel like giving me more information to get Vangarre off my case.”

 

     “Not a chance.” Mumkhar replied with a wide grin. “After all I told you my full story already.”

 

     “Right. Your 'story'.” Dunban groaned.

 

     “Oh, oh! I know this one!” Fiora yelled, jumping out of her chair and running to Dunban's side. “The mechon attacked Mumkhar's home so he punched all of them really hard.” Fiora explained, punching and kicking the air for dramatic effect. “But the king mechon noticed all his guys were dying, so he flew in from the other giant to stop him.”

 

     “And then what happened?” Mumkhar asked, clearly enjoying this too much. Dunban made a mental note to keep his new friend well away from his little sister in the future.

 

     “You punched the king mechon so hard that the entire colony exploded.” She replied, waving her arms and making explosion noises to demonstrate.

 

     “Yeah, that's exactly how it happened. Good job kid.” Mumkhar smiled.

 

     “I'm sure.” Dunban replied. He was far too exhausted for this. “It's dark out. Fiora, if you are done eating, you should get ready bed.”

 

     “Awe, but I'm not tired.” She protested.

 

     “Curfew.” Dunban reminded her. Fiora crossed her arms and frowned at him before stomping off to her bedroom.

 

     “Do you need to be lying to my little sister, Mumkhar?” He teased.

 

     “Oh come on. It's just good fun.” He replied. “Besides, I've been giving it some thought and I'm thinking fishing isn't what I want to be doing for a living.”

 

     “So what is it you plan on doing then?” Dunban asked, genuinely curious.

 

     “I want to join the Colony Defense Force.” He stated. It was just about the last thing Dunban had expected.

 

     “I thought you hated the Colony Defense Force?” Dunban puzzled.  
  


     “Naw, I don't like that mustache prick and his constant questions. Nothing against the Defense Force itself.” Mumkhar explained.

 

     “You know that 'Mustache Prick' won't let you if you keep dodging his questions.”

 

     “I know that.” Mumkhar agreed.  
  


     “Why do you want to join anyway?” Dunban asked. Mumkhar opened his mouth to reply but then shut it and paused before speaking.

 

     “Someone's got to get that prick off your case. I'll tell you more tomorrow.” He replied.

 

     “Tomorrow?”

 

     “Yeah, you better rest up tonight Dunban because you and I are going to have ourselves a bit of a workout.”

 

     “Do I want to know what you mean?” Dunban asked.

 

     “Probably not, but afterwards I'll tell you everything.”

 


	5. The Shining Pond

     “It's been a while since I've been here.” Dunban remarked.

     Mumkhar's house was small and had almost no furniture aside from a bed and a couple of chairs. Still, when he first came to Colony 9, Mumkhar had nothing but the clothes on his back. The fact that he had his own place at all was truly impressive.

     “It's been the perfect leverage.” Mumkhar admitted as he continued digging through his belongings, which had unceremoniously been piled in a corner. “I needed to prove a point to Square-tache that I didn't need him.”

     “Square-tache?” Dunban asked, unsure of what Mumkhar had meant.

     “Yeah. That stuck-up square that you work for.” Mumkhar explained. Despite his best efforts, a smile crept up on Dunban's face.

     “Come on now Mumkhar. I thought you wanted to work for that square?” He teased.

     “Don't remind me.” Mumkhar groaned.

     Like all refugees, Mumkhar had been offered temporary housing in the barracks until he could find suitable work. Unlike most refugees, Mumkhar had that privilege revoked almost immediately. He suspected that Mumkhar's refusal to elaborate on the fate of Colony 10 was only half of the reason that he had been evicted. He would have to ask for the full story one day.

     “There you are!” Mumkhar cheered as he pulled out an odd pair of gloves. “Alright, I'm ready to go now. You set?” He asked Dunban.

     “Of course.” Dunban replied. He couldn't help but twist his thumb to unsheathe his katana just enough to flash its bright, polished steel at his friend. It had been his father's sword before the attack on Colony 9 that had taken his life. Dunban was determined to honor him by carrying the sword now.

     “Nice knife. Hope its as useful in a fight as it is pretty.” Mumkhar commented as he set out.

     “So... did you make those yourself?” Dunban asked as he followed his friend up the path. He was struggling to not criticize Mumkhar's choice of weapon. It looked like he had managed to bind a handful of knives to his gloves in some ridiculous imitation of claws.

     “Sure did.” Mumkhar replied with pride. Without braking from his march, he lifted a hand out to show off the full length of his claws. “I think it suits me.”

     “It sure is unique.” Dunban agreed. It was the closest he could get to a compliment on the ridiculous choice of weapon. “So why are we headed to the mines again?” He couldn't help but ask.

     “Skeeters.” Mumkhar explained. “The one's in the mine make the best juice for miles. You wouldn't believe how much a carton sells for.”

     “Evidently not.” Dunban agreed. It wasn't uncommon for soldiers to venture into the caves to hunt brog. Their leg meat was sold throughout the colony. This was the first time he'd heard of someone going into them to hunt skeeters.

     “Wait. Is that how you managed to afford your house?” Dunban asked, realization dawning on him.

     “Of course. You didn't think I made all my money selling my fish at the market did you?” He replied proudly. That was exactly what Dunban had assumed. They continued their walk in silence until Mumkhar stopped him at the entrance to Tephra cave.

     “Alright. We are hunting Fibula Skeeters. To do that, we'll have to go off the beaten path for a while. Make sure to stay close behind me and watch your step.” Mumkhar warned him. Dunban frowned.

     “This isn't my first time in Tehra Cave. I can more than handle myself.” He protested. He was a trained soldier. It was Mumkhar who should be cautious.

     “Suit yourself.” Mumkhar shrugged, entering the cave.

     Dunban soon learned that Mumkhar really wasn't kidding when he said that they were going off the beaten path. They had managed to get to the Spring of Grief easily. The path was well traveled and the wildlife gave them no trouble. However, as soon as they had made it to the bottom, Dunban found himself crawling on his stomach into some some unknown crevice following behind Mumkhar.

     He was struggling to keep his head, but was determined to see this through. It felt like the walls could come tumbling in on him at any moment. Fortunately, he could soon see the literal light at the end of the tunnel. He took a deep breath as he pulled himself out of the tunnel and immediately braced against the cave wall.

     “You sure you've been to this part of Tephra Caves, Dunban?” He heard Mumkhar tease.

     “No one else I know would be insane enough to crawl into random holes.” Dunban complained. “Just give me a moment to catch my breath okay.”

     “Fine.” Mumkhar agreed. Thankfully, he seemed to pick up on Dunban's claustrophobia and gave him some space. Dunban cracked open his eyes and took a look around. That wasn't lantern light he had seen. It was daylight.

     “Are we back outside the caves?” He asked. Ahead, he could see nothing but sky. They must have been on the edge of the leg.

     “Eh. Not really. This is just a path down to the lower levels.” Mumkhar explained. “Found this place completely on accident when I was on my way up to Colony 9.”

     “So this is the path you took when you fled Colony 10 then? I wondered if that was what you can to show me.”

     “What are you talking about? I brought you here to show you the skeeters.” Mumkhar huffed, crossing his arms.

     “Of course.” Dunban replied, humoring his friend. “So these skeeters are up ahead then?”

     “Yeah. We're most of the way there already, but we're going to have to be real quiet the moment we are back inside.” Mumkhar warned him. “This is the dangerous part of our journey. The arachnos down here aren't like the one's in the rest of Tephra Cave. These are monsters.”

     “But as long as we take things slow, they won't bother us?” Dunban asked. He was beginning to learn that Mumkhar didn't kid about this trip.

     “Ideally. But if they do, run. Don't even try to fight them, just make a dash for sunlight. They don't like to follow you outside.” Dunban made the assumption that Mumkhar was speaking from experience and wondered how he had managed to escape them the first time.

     “Alright.” He replied lifting himself back onto his feet. “I am ready to go now. You take the lead.”

     “This way then.” Mumkhar smirked, motioning to the path ahead. It was a narrow and steep decline so Dunban had to be extra cautious. The path was either naturally occurring or hadn't been maintained by any homs in decades. It was a good thing he wasn't scared of heights. One misstep could send him tumbling off the edge of the Bionis.

     Dunban couldn't help but glance over the edge. If he looked directly down, he could see the dark outline of Colony 10 on the foot far below. It was Mumkhar's home. Dunban had never been there himself, but knew that trade with the colony had been fairly frequent before it's destruction.

     It was just beginning to dawn on Dunban how fragile the state of his own home was. Would there be an attack someday that they just couldn't fend off? Maybe next time, it would be him leaving everything he knew behind to flee to Colony 6.

     Bionis, there were only two homs settlements left. Would there even be anywhere left to run to before long? Dunban looked back to his friend ahead. They couldn't stay on the defensive forever. Something had to change.

     A wide entrance back into the caves laid dead ahead. Mumkhar turned back to face Dunban and mimed a reminder to keep quiet. He took a deep breath and nodded an agreement.

     Mumkhar clung to the walls of the cave, silently shuffling down its left side. Dunban followed nervously behind him, flinching back as his ankle almost touched an arachno pod. The cave was absolutely swarming with the bugs. It was far from the first arachno nest he'd seen in these caves, but never before had he seen so many in one place.

     He could barely hear himself think over the clicking of mandibles that echoed throughout the chamber. His friend might actually be insane. What maniac decides that going through an arachno nest is the best way to get to safety? Dunban sharply inhaled as one of the bugs passed directly in front of him. It was the biggest arachno he'd ever seen.

     Even after the number of the bugs began to thin out as they moved along, Dunban was very careful not to make a sound. It wasn't until Mumkhar said they were safe that he dared speak in even a whisper.

     “This is it.” Mumkhar assured him. It had better be. This had been enough excitement for Dunban today. He watched as Mumkhar turned and shuffled through a crack in the cave wall. Great. More tight spaces. Dunban followed suit and was quickly spat out into a puddle of water. He got to his feet and looked around.

     For a second, he had thought that they had wound up at Villa Lake. The pond before him wasn't near as big, but had the same type of beauty. The walls hummed with blue light while half a dozen skeeters lazily floated above the pond's shining surface. The remains of a fire at its edge briefly caught Dunban's attention before he took notice of the neatly stacked pile of rocks in the pond's center.

     “Welcome to my camp, or at least the last of my camps before I finally made it to Colony 9.” Mumkhar announced. “Now I know you are probably eager to skewer some of these flying money-bags, but I thought maybe we could have a quick chat first.”

     This was it. This was the thing that Dunban had wanted to know since he and Mumkhar had first met. Now, overlooking Mumkhar's old camp, he felt like he was intruding. Yet he hesitantly nodded his head and sat down with Mumkhar on the shore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all had a great Labor Day. Next up: Dunban finally learns Mumkhar's backstory and we check up on what everyone's favorite greasy jerk is up to in the present day.


End file.
